Monday, August 29, 2011

Some time ago I redecorated my daughter's bedroom. She had only one year left at home so I didn't want to go too wild but I wanted it to be fun. And cheap. The theme was polka dots. We didn't touch the wall color but drew the rest of the color scheme from the polka dot sheets we bought so everything is in blues or green.

We painted the bed frame green. I made the denim quilt. You can't see it in this picture but the edges have polka dot ribbon on this side and the other side is polka dot flannel. Being denim, the quilt is really heavy and toasty on a cold night.

This map was for her to stick pins in all the places she has missionary friends around the world.

We were trying to keep the project as cheap as possible so the artwork was homemade. I made this using a thrift store bulletin board, embroidery hoops, napkin rings and canning jar lids and rings.

The closet was repainted but the dots are just tied on to the slats for easy removal.

(Excuse the open drawers. I wasn't paying attention when I took the picture).

We repainted the old dresser in one of the blue shades.

We put up a hat rack using the green again. Another thrift store find. And painted the little hanging tin she already owned just for fun.

I bought this letter H in the clearance of our local craft store and modge podged polka dot paper on it to hang on the door.

This was something she already owned and I thought the colors worked well.

Bought the pics at the dollar store and covered them in fabric that was sprinkled around the room.

We have a futon in this room we use when we have guests and the cats love to sleep on it and thus cover it in cat hair, so I painted this sheet to cover the futon. When guests come I can easily remove it and throw it in the wash and then put the real bedding on the futon. Gotta shut the door to keep the cats out then. :)

I used heavy polka dot scrapbook paper in a frame to make the earring holder. I just used a small hole punch and the earrings slip right in.

Below that is a thrift store tie rack that I painted for hanging necklaces.

You can see a little of the bulletin board which has been painted and has polka dots all the way around the frame.

I painted the base of a lamp we already had and bought the green lamp shade though I'm sure if I'd been craftier I could have covered the old one in fabric. I like this green though.

It is 3:00 in the morning and I'm unable to sleep. Rather than toss and turn I got up, took some Airborne in the hopes of warding off what ails me and sat down at the computer. On an impulse, I created this blog. I like to read other people's blogs but I was never sure that I had enough to say to merit a blog of my own. We'll see how this goes.

So I've spent a lot of time thinking about my life and the stage I am in right now. I'm a few days away from my 49th birthday, my baby starts college in the morning, and my role as Mom has changed drastically. Two of our three children live 4 1/2 hours south of us and one lives at home as of 1 1/2 weeks ago, going to the local University. I've been a stay at home mom, spent time volunteering at the various schools and for the Education Foundation. I work in church in whatever capacity I'm asked to do, currently as the compassionate service coordinator. My married life has been spent in coordinating our home, getting kids where they need to be, cleaning up messes, washing endless piles of clothing and preparing countless dinners. But now that my baby has left the nest, what do I do next?

I've been thinking about this for several years really. I knew the day was fast approaching when my role, as I knew it, as mom would drastically change. I didn't really want to find a job. We don't really need additional income as we get along fine on my husband's salary. I anticipate being a grandma someday and want to have the freedom to play grandma whenever possible. So if I'm not going to get a job, what do I do now? Eat bon bons and watch soap operas? I think not. We've had a couple of shocking deaths in our neighborhood. Vibrant people whose lives were cut short most unexpectedly. Sitting through the funerals was thought provoking for me. If I died today, what would people say about me? What would I WANT them to say about me? I can't answer the first question but the second one is easier. I want them to say that I served people. So I have spent months thinking and trying to learn more about service. God decided to help me out by giving me the compassionate service assignment at church. I have been trying to turn my thoughts to other people instead of getting wrapped up in my own little world. Some days I'm more successful than others.

My days of volunteering in the classroom are done, as a parent volunteer anyway. I am still on the education foundation board as my three years aren't up until next year and I'll probably stay on then anyway. But now I have to fill my days with finding service to do. It's easy to serve family. The needs are more obvious to me but what about my neighbors? I have to be more aware and try harder to find ways to be of service to them. That is easier when I keep service as my focus but as soon as I get caught up in a project in our house or whatever, I tend to lose that focus. But I can't give up. I just have to start again, regain my focus and look around me. Everybody needs something, even if it is just a smile and a wave.

About Me

My husband says it is not always about me. I beg to differ. This blog is about me, and other things. Some of those other things are my husband and three children, all adults now. They make me happiest in life. Other things also includes (but not limited to) our house and attempts to improve it, craft projects, my love of tulips and Jane Austen, gardening, and whatever I might think of along the way.